22-04-2025
Ad calls on Judge Griffin to concede November election, former NC Governor McCrory speaks out
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — More calls are circling for Republican Judge Jefferson Griffin to concede the race for a Supreme Court seat nearly six months after the November election. RightCount Action is broadcasting an ad across North Carolina saying it's time for Griffin to accept his loss.
Former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory is piggybacking off the ad, echoing the sentiments.
'I voted for the judge, the Republican candidate, and I wanted him to win as his philosophy is more aligned with mine,' former Governor McCrory said. 'However, he lost a very close election.'
Right now, the challenge is making its way through the court system. Most recently, the North Carolina Supreme Court ruled that around seven thousand votes could potentially be thrown out, many of them including overseas military members.
'They were given rules to follow when they voted overseas, they followed those rules, those rules were approved by both Republicans and Democrats and therefore the results should be valid,' former Governor McCrory said.
Democratic Associate Justice Allison Riggs, who Griffin lost the election to, appealed that decision to a federal appeals court that is considering the case now. Democrats say Judge Griffin has dragged it on long enough.
'North Carolinians are pissed, they're angry that it's taking 6 months for an election to be certified in North Carolina, as they should be,' Anderson Clayton, Chair of the North Carolina Democratic party, said.
North Carolina GOP representatives weren't available for an interview but in a statement said in part, 'If Democrats were honest, they'd simply admit they don't actually care about honest elections and are only interested in partisan outcomes.'
But both Republicans and Democrats calling for Griffin to concede say the most important outcome is election integrity.
'In the long run, the system has to win, and confidence in democracy has to win, and that's my goal,' former Governor McCrory said.
'Justice Riggs will tell you, any voter that's disenfranchised from this fight is one vote too many,' Clayton said.
Democrats say they're still reaching out to voters who have been impacted and they'll spend the next few weeks mobilizing to make sure voters are prepared to prove their eligibility if needed.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
